As mentioned earlier, Beams+ (American Life Shop) was one of my favorite stores in Tokyo. Walking into the shop felt like stepping into a fishing lodge in Wisconsin. Good stuff. The offerings on the Beams+ website are limited, so I thought it would be nice to scan some of the catalog pages for you.
Filed under Japan, Men's wear, Style
As far as a brand concepts go, it doesn’t get much better for me than the Los Angeles based Stonghold. The company was founded in Los Angeles in 1895 as the area’s first denim manufacturer, and operated continuously until its closure in 1949. Fast forward to 2004 when Michael Paradise and Michael Cassell revived the defunct work wear label as a contemporary brand with every bit of authenticity as the original.
Filed under Americana, Denim, Los Angeles, Made in the USA, Men's wear, Work Wear
The new Steven Alan for Urban Outfitters collection Lark & Wolff — you know the one that isn’t supposed to be available until around July 4th — is currently available at the NoHo Urban Outfitters on Broadway. The collection looks good and I even picked up two button-down shirts for $58 each. The UO people have the preppy offerings merchandised with chinos, skinny ties, Bass Weejuns and other appropriate items. I have to say that I liked the wovens and you could definitely see the Steven Alan touch in everything. The store didn’t seem to have the entire collection, just a small collection of men’s and women’s from what I saw.
Filed under New York City, Preppy, Retail, Style
My friends at Southwick sent me this great looking tote bag yesterday. My bag obsessions have been detailed here before — so no need to go there. The design is fairly innocuous until you flip it over and you see the giant “Made in the United States of America.” I love the way the bag is printed underneath the straps. I’m happy to see some buzz around the brand and might have to make a special trip to check out Southwick at Cuffs (one of my all time favorite men’s stores) this summer when I am back home. I guess I could shop for Southwick here in NYC, but what fun would that be.
Filed under Made in the USA, Men's Stores, Men's wear, Preppy, Style
I always want what I can’t have. There was a time when it was disappointing to live in New York — a city with nearly everything — but without access to seemingly American (but Japanese) brands like Post O’ Alls. Then retailers like Steven Alan started stocking these good Japanese lines and things were looking-up. Next thing you know, Post O’ Alls goes and teams up with Nepenthes and creates Imperial Post O’ Alls and we are back to where we started. I guess I am just going to have to make a pilgrimage to Japan. A few items from Post O’ Alls Imperial collection below and after the jump.
Filed under Japan, Men's wear, Style
Last week at the Men.Style.com Women of Fashion party I had a chance to catch up with Eddy Chai, one of the owners of the popular men’s store Odin. There are a lot of interesting things happening with Odin and their gallery-esq boutique Den. I found out that this fall, GQ’s favorite label Engineered Garments will be taking over the Den space at 330 East 11th Street. The announcement is exciting news for someone like me that loves 1. classic American things 2. work wear 3. things made in the USA 4. Japan 5. Den. I also heard that Nepenthes (the Engineered Garments Japanese parent company) is launching an entirely new brand under a different name and that the company is introducing an Engineered Garments womens collection in the near future. Sounds like Nepenthes is on a roll. Previous occupants of the Den space have been fashionable brands like Robert Geller, Karen Walker and Cheap Monday.
Filed under Men's wear, New York City, Retail, Style
From the Desk of… is a window into the world and workspace of some of ACL’s most stylish friends.
Details Market Editor Eugene Tong (pictured at left with fellow Details Market Editor Matthew Marden) took some time out of his busy day scouring the fashion landscape to break down his desk from deep within the inner-workings of Details HQ. The fine print after the break.
Filed under From the Desk of..., Style
I have been patiently waiting for my opportunity to post something on the prepfest that is Gossip Girl and last night I got my chance. Let me preface this conversation by saying that I generally toggle between PBS, The History and Military channels, so my fixation with Gossip Girl is as strange to me as it is to you. During last night’s episode my favorite character on the show —the J. Press scarf wearing Chuck Bass —was dressed in a beige and red striped linen necktie by my client Alexander Olch. Throughout the first half of the show, Mr. Bass was called in by Blair a la Michael Clayton to help rectifie one of Serena’s difficult situations, all while wearing another one of his ridiculously preppy outfits. The look consisted of said Olch tie, blue Oxford cloth shirt with a white Oxford cloth club collar, camel cardigan and plaid paints. It was Upper East Side preppy drama at its best!
I normally don’t like to reblog things, but this essay is great. Found via DRINKINANDDRONIN. Much respect.
By G. Bruce Boyer
When I was growing up back in the late 1950s, the matter of dress for young men was relatively simple. When a boy reached adolescence he would put away much of his childhood wardrobe — whatever that might have been — and begin to wear a basic outfit that would see him through the college years and beyond. It was a time before the designer revolution in menswear, before the Ralph Laurens and Versaces, the Armanis and Paul Smiths, the Dolces and the Gabannas. A simpler time.
It was a time when there were basically three types of clothing stores. There was of course the traditional store for the traditional American business look: conservatively cut suits, safe shirts (the majority of which were white, with one or two collar styles), and discreet foulard or striped neckwear. Then there was the somewhat “sharper” store, a more courant version of the trad store, more upscale, hipper, more for the man who was known for caring about style. In the late ’50s this store took on a bit of European flair. The clothing was called “Continental”, meaning Italian, to distinguish it from British. There had been a tradition of British clothing here, but the Italian thing was new.
Finally there was the Ivy League shop.
Called “Ivy League” or “campus” shop because the style had originated, evolved, and took it’s strength from the prestigious Eastern Establishment universities. After World War II young men of growing middle class means attended these institutions of higher learning in droves on the G.I. Bill of economic assistance. What they found was that they could construct a basic campus wardrobe without a great deal of money and effort. There was high serviceability and low maintenance to the college wardrobe of the day.
Not long ago the BBC presented a facinating three part program on the world of Savile Row. In the first installment the English bespoke world is under threat from the American “High Street” brand Abercrombie & Fitch. Having previously worked on the public relations team at Abercrombie & Fitch, I am particularly familiar with the company. It is a very strategic and well run organization. A&F is a company where every decision is well thought out and purposeful, especially when concerning the brand image. I have to give credit where credit is due — the company’s branding and execution is on point with any of the luxury goods companies out there. That said, A&F’s decision to open on Savile Row while great for branding and image purposes, is painful to see and embarrassing to watch, especially as an American. The effect of mass market retailers on the institution (albeit a privileged one) of Savile Row, could prove to be disastrous. Though I suppose only time will tell.
Please feel free to share you thoughts below in the comments. Also I can’t seem to find the other two episodes…if anyone can locate them I will add to the post.
From the Desk of… is a window into the world and workspace of some of ACL’s most stylish friends.
In addition to being a talented filmmaker, designer, artist and bespoke clipboard maker, Alexander Olch is the subject of this week’s From the Desk of… column.
This is the first studio I ever rented – and have been working here now for seven years. It was proudly furnished at low-budget: Desk – 1 inch thick MDF board on 2 steel sawhorses, chair from the old Chelsea flea market, long pine wood shelves with two coats of Red Devil glossy white enamel paint, Steel shelves at right from B & Z Steel Shelving in SoHo, with the same paint. Computer is still the same – Mac OS 9.2.2. Electronics all old and borrowed – Pioneer SX-737 tuner, Panasonic Easa-Phone, pro VHS deck, and speakers all from 1990. Black framed photograph (center top) is the first I ever took – in 1983 of the waves in Ogunquit, Maine.
Filed under Design, From the Desk of..., Style
A Continuous Lean. 